The Beginning of the End: Dexter's Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter Preview Season 8

Way back in Dexter‘s second season, our anti-hero noted with surprise that his mask of normality was slipping. “People who never mattered before are suddenly starting to matter,” he said, uncharacteristically rattled. “It scares the hell out of me.”

You think you were spooked, Dex? That’s nothing compared to what fans of the murderous Showtime saga likely face as its final season bows this Sunday (9/8c). Given the series’ lethal nature, those who have grown to love and champion the Dark Passenger over the past seven seasons know that a tragic ending is a real possibility.

The cast only just began production on the series finale, so Dexter’s ultimate fate remains to be seen. Still, there are several other series-ending teases stars Michael C. Hall and Jennifer Carpenter, as well asexecutive producer Sara Colleton, can share about the swan-song season. What does the rocky road ahead for Deb and Dex entail? Can Dexter’s killer instincts be subdued? And, of course, will the final hour satisfy? Read on for those answers and more.

BEGINNING OF THE END | “We have always said that Dexter’s series-long quest has been to explore his human side,” Colleton tells TVLine. “And all of those years of exploration will come to a rousing head by the end of the series. Dexter started out thinking of himself as a monster but yearns to be human, and he is going to find out what we all know: how difficult it is to be a human being and the weight that comes with being fully aware.” As Hall explains, this all comes about when Charlotte Rampling’s Dr. Evelyn Vogel enters the picture. “The revelations of Dr. Vogel’s presence in Dexter’s story reframes his whole origin story and takes us back to what we discovered him to be at the beginning,” he shares. “Because of that, it’s satisfying and creates a sense of connective tissue to who we knew Dexter to be and how he’s evolved.”

DOCTOR DEAREST | If there’s one thing viewers should know about the rather cold Dr. Vogel — who (SPOILER ALERT) actually created Harry’s Code — it’s this: You’ll either love or hate her. “At first, Evelyn feels she’s his spiritual mother,” Colleton reveals, “and to Dexter, she’s a kind of Dr. Frankenstein. But at a time in his life where Deb has pushed him out and he is the most unmoored, to hear from someone that he is perfect is incredibly seductive.”

SIBLING SETBACK | Elsewhere in the Dexterverse, Deb is struggling to cope with her murderous turn. “It was horrible to play,” a candid Carpenter laughs. “It was wildly uncomfortable and I felt a little tossed to the wolves because of the six-month gap that happened [within the] season.” That said, her meltdown ultimately led to showcasing the strained Dexter/Deb relationship in “the most honest place that it’s ever been.” Says the actress, “Deb’s holding a mirror up to him and asking him for some real answers, and for that I’m grateful. They start in a really authentic place, which means that the rest of the season can feel connected.” As for the estranged siblings’ reconciliation, Hall tells us: “Dr. Vogel will be someone who will help facilitate that.”

PSYCHO NO MO’? | As Dexter’s notion of humanity grows, so does his belief that perhaps he may not actually be a psychopath. Dr. Vogel, however, would disagree. “She exploits the fact that Dexter has come to believe — or maybe it’s undeniable to him, as he’s lost so much — that he does have an appetite to be human,” Hall shares, “a sense of there being more to him than just killing.”

SERIES-FINALE FODDER | A bloody good ending to the Dexter saga awaits fans, if Carpenter is to be believed. “You walk by racks of clothing that the costumers are pulling out on set, and there’s blood everywhere,” she teases. “It’s fantastic! I think fans are going to be really happy.” Hall, for his part, is less boisterous but does note: “I’m excited about the turns the story is going to take.”

After Dexter does killing(s) for Dr. Vogel – much like the victims who were found to have part of their brains removed early in the season – SHE will remove that very part of Dexter’s brain with a melon ball scoop. This will leave Dexter very much alive, and very much human (and disabled).

Harrison was already covered in blood when Rita was killed….maybe his own dark passenger surfaces and HE kills Daddy Dexter? The books have both of Rita’s children Cody and Aster struggling with their demons, and they actually kill another killer in book 4 (I think that’s the right number).

I don’t think so. That would mean so much for Deb-Dex relationship thingy, and Dexter has always been about the serial killer stuff. He will most likely run away, behind bars or well, keep killing people without caring about his code.

I have no idea how this will end, and I have no idea how I want it to end. In a show where no one is perfect, is there such a thing as a perfect ending? Anything is possible; I just want it to make sense, and I want to be entertained in Dexter’s final journey.
I do know that I will miss this show; but as long as it comes to a rational and satisfying conclusion, I will be okay with it.

Ok So I am hoping for a real twist for the end. Dexter is really showing signs that he is not himself any more. What I think might be cool if done right is Dexter has developed a split personality. He is in fact the ‘Brain Surgeon’ killer and he does not even know it. He is the ‘old patient’ Vogel mentions. His dark passenger becoming more dominate persona taking the ’empathy’ from his victims, something he does not have but wants so desperately to be human. He spends the season tracking this killer down as the victims become closer and closer to him. In the end he dies as the hero by taking his own life. Ok I saw Angel Heart recently so maybe just got that on the mind….

The way that I would write the endding: Dex and Deb in a kill room, only after a serious breakdown has a “dark passanger” awakened in Deb… “Sorry Dexter but you meet the code.” Knife falls and the screen goes black, red blood spatter letters fill the screen “Debra.”

They won’t kill Dex or Deb…how else will they make a movie in the future? I think Dr. Vogel is doing all the killing and she’s playing with Dex. Don’t worry…Dex will kill her too even though he’s drawn to he is hungry for acceptance, especially from the doctor who’s teying to olay a maternal role. Dex is enjoying this “motherly” attention that he never had and longs for.

They won’t kill Dex or Deb…how else will they make a movie in the future? I think Dr. Vogel is doing all the killing and she’s playing with Dex. Don’t worry…Dex will kill her too even though he’s drawn to her. He is hungry for acceptance, especially from the doctor who’s trying to play a maternal role. Dex is enjoying this “motherly” attention that he never had and longs for.

I think Matthews knows what’s going on too and will figure in strongly at the end. Vogel will use Dexter like a puppet, putting him in increasingly shortsighted plots of revenge including Matthews at the end and Dexter must choose between the two, ultimately choosing Matthews as the ‘Harry’ figure.

I think Dexter will realize that he is not a psychopath but was created to be one by Dr. Vogel. She will be his last victim and Dexter will die in the ultimate sacrifice for Deb or Harrison. Dexter’s secret will never be revealed and Deb will raise Harrison. I don’t want Dex to die but I’d rather him die than be figured out.

My wife and I think Dr. Vogel is the brain surgeon. She’s killing all the bad guys in her book, using dex until the end. Dr.vogel gets dex in a kill room in the end and cuts out that portion of his brain so he’s a vegetable like he doesn’t remember what he has done. This is killing me. I love this show, Dexter is awesome. I could watch it for 8 more seasons. It’s terrible what he does, but he saves the tax payers a ton of money.

They tease it will be a bloody ending. What if Miami Metro finds out Dexters secret and he snaps and goes on a killing spree in the cop shop with his last kill having to be deb, debra in turn will kill dexter and raise harrison

I think Dexter will get killed by Oliver Saxon.
then 10 years will pass and you will see Dexter’s son killing Saxon (same way Dexter killed his Victims) as Dexter stands Behing His Son, giving Him advise. Like his dad used to.

Well I saw the ending of this series and I am not at all happy with the way it ended. Sure they had to end it with no loose ends but please, if you are going to kill off someone why not do it when it seemed like a good time to do it, like the end of last season. other than that killing off and then the way the body was disposed of was just a little over the top. very disappointing ending for a series that I have watched from the beginning.